Viaduct

I decided to go to Chester le Street today. Not for any particular reason - just somewhere different to go. It started raining just as I left the house and it has rained steadily all day. Had to get 2 buses to Chester le Street and 2 back so its not an easy place to get to even though its only about 8 miles away from Newcastle.

My blip shot shows the railway viaduct which carries 2 train tracks over the Chester Burn. The track is the East Coast mail line which goes from Scotland to London. The viaduct is over 230m long and has 11 arches. It was built in 1868 and is a Grade 2 listed building. Also in my shot is the busy Tesco car park.

Its my birthday today. Just had a quiet time at home after I got back from my trip out. Neil came over this evening. Hopefully we can go out for a meal together one day next week.

On my birthday I always have thoughts of my lovely Mam. When she gave birth to me she had TB and the medical staff - in their wisdom - decided that I could not stay with her so I was taken away. Ten days later when she was in the back of an ambulance ready to go home I was handed to her ...... " Here's your baby Mrs W " .... and that was the first time she had held me. So much for the mother and baby bonding which takes place in those early days. So that was my start in life. The 1950's were so very different from now. My Mam had a life of ill health and sadly died when she was only 56 years old.